Black Eyed Pea Salad

My favorite part of my local Whole Foods is the bulk section. Dozens and dozens of different grains, beans, nuts and lot of other delicious things. The prices are good and the selection is amazing. Every week I stock up on some new things that I store in mason jars. This week, I decided to give black eyed peas a whirl. I knew they are traditionally prepared in southern cooking, but I wanted to put a fresh and healthy spin on these.

Using the rest of my farmer's market haul, I decided to throw together a fresh and healthy salad to highlight this wonderful legume. Black eyed peas are low in calories, and high in soluble fiber, potassium, and zinc.

This salad is vitamin packed and makes for a healthy main or side dish. I dressed it with only a bit of olive oil and lemon juice so as not to overpower all the delicious fresh flavors. Fresh parsley and fennel give this a bit of a kick as well.

In addition, I had an eventful weekend! After soliciting some help on Facebook, I found a local hardware store that had all the canning equipment I was looking for! I may have gone a bit overboard...

Anyway, I used this amazing haul to make jam on Saturday! My first canning experience involved a lot of sweat, foul language, minor burns and a huge mess but I had a blast. I can't wait to keep experimenting.

Read more for the full recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry black eyed peas
1 cup English cucumber, cut into 1/2" slices and quartered
1/2 a fennel bulb, washed, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, washed, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup green olives, chopped
1/4 fresh parsley, washed and chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Prepare black eyed peas according to package directions. Set aside and chill
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients with the peas
3. Toss thoroughly and serve with a lemon wedge